Valve for internal-combustion engines.



E. G. KNOX & F. B. DECKER, V ALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION menus. APPLICATIDN FILED DEC.28. I916.

Patented July 31, 1917,

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. I916- Patented July 31, 1917.

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VALVE -FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES APPLICATION FILED 05c. 23. me.

1,235,329. Patented July 31, 1917.

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ELMER G. KNQX AND F031) B. DICKER, F JACK-SON, MICHIGAN.

VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 211113 31, 1917.

Application filed December 28, 1916. Serial No. 139,360.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Emma G. Knox and FORD l3. DECKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved valve for internal combustion engines and more particularly to the rotary type of such valves. the invention having for its primary object to provide a valve of exceedingly simple construction for use in connection with an engine, each cylinder of which is provided with a single port through which the fresh air is admitted to the cylinder and the burned gases exhausted therefrom.

It is an importantpurpose of our invention to devise a rotary valve of such construction that the use of valve springs, push rods, rocker arms, and like instrumentalit-ies will be entirely dispensed with, and the frictional resistance offered to the operation of the valve mechanism and the noise incident to the operation of such parts, entirely obviated.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide a single rotary valve tube mounted in a suitable water-jacketed casing cast with the cylinder block, said valve tube having separate intake and exhaust passages, the gas admitted from the carbureter into the gas passage being superheated before coming in contact with the walls of the exhaust passage, the valve tube being further provided with an outer air passage to obviate overheating of the wall of the exhaust passage and excessive expansion of the metal.

It is a further general object of the invention to simplify and improve the construction of the rotary type of valves so that the manufacture of the cylinder block castings will not be greatly increased, and wherein the rotarj valve is made to serve the purpose of an intake and exhaust manifold.

With the above and other objects .in view, our invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the preferred embodiment of our improved rotary valve applied to afour-cylinder internal combustion engine;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is of Fig. l;

Fig. a is a section taken on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the series of engine cylinders which are cast en bloc in the usual manner in engines provided for use upon, motor vehicles. Each of the cylinders is provided with the usual water jacket which communia section taken on the line 3-3 cates with a common water-jacketed head 6 integrally connecting the cylinders to each other. This hollow head 6 constitutes the casing for the rotary *alve comprising the present invention. Each cylinder head is centrally provided at its lower side with a single port 7 for each of the engine cylinders 55, and through this port the fresh charge is admitted to the cylinder and the burned gases also exhausted therefrom. It will be understood that in the V-type of engine wherein the cylinders are arranged in two opposed series and each series cast in a separate block, there will be a water-jacketed head 6 for each series of cylinders, and a valve arranged therein.

The rotary valve tube, generally indicated by the numeral 8, is formed with the spaced walls 9 and 10 disposed in concentric relation and extending the entire length of the valve. The space between these walls con stitutes an air chamber 11. The valve 8 is further provided. with a central, longitudinally extending passage 12, the wall 13 of which is integral with the head plate 14 which is disposed inwardly of one end of the walls 9 and 10 and integrally formed with the latter wall. The opposite end of the passage 12 is likewise closed and terminates in spaced relation to the other end of the valve tube. To the end wall 14, one end of a stub shaft 15 is securely bolted, to which a chain or other operating means for the valve is connected. The valve 8 is provided at a pointsubstantially midway between its ends, with a plurality of radially disposed, gas feed ports 16, the walls of which are integral with the walls 9 and 10, said ports extending through the annular this opening 19 in the rotation of the air passage 11 and communicating at their inner ends with the gas intake passage 12 The space between the wall of this passage 12 and the inner wall 10 of the air passage constitutes a longitudinally extending exhaust chamber 17 surrounding the intake passage. At longitudinally spaced points, ports 18 opening upon the periphery of the valve tube, comnuinicate with the exhaust passage 17. These exhaust ports 18 are also spaced circumterentially of the valve from each other.

The water-jacketed head 6 connecting the engine cylinders, has an opening 19 centrally formed in one side thereof to which the gas supply conduit from the carbureter is suitably connected. The gas intake ports 16 are, of course, adapted to register with valve. It is to be noted that one or more of the ports 16 is at all times in communication with the opening 19 so that the gas is being continually supplied to the passage 12.

in the end of the cylindrical wall 10 which projects beyond the end wall 1% of the valve, a series of spaced openings 20 are formed.

rin inlet opening is also provided in a head plate 23 secured to the end of the water-jacketed casing G. The air may thus find its way through these openings and the openin s 20 into the longitudinal air passage 11 of the valve.

At the opposite end of the rotary valve, the exhaust passage 17 is open, and the exhaust gases are delivered to the exhaust pipe 2i throu h this open end or the passage 17. r-in aimular plate is interposed between the end of the cylinder head or casing 6 and the end flange on the pipe 2i, said. plate and flange being secured to the end of the cylinder head by means of a series of bolts indicated at 26. The outer wall!) at this end of the valve is also provided with a series of openings 27. The water jacket of the cylinder head or casing S terminates in spaced relation to this end of the rotary valve, and beyond the end wall of the jacket indicated at 28, the inner cylindrical wall thereof is likewise provided with a plurality of openings 29 with which the openings 27 are adapted to register. The outer wall of the cylinder head 6 outwardly curved or bulged to provide an annular air chamber 30 at this end of the cylinder head, and this curved section of the outer wall is provided with spaced openings 31 through which the air may escape.

Between the engine cylinders and on each side of the gas teed ports 16 and at opposite ends of the valve, annular packing rings are seated in grooves in the periphery of the rotary valve tube. Leakage of the gas around the tube upon compression thereof in the engine cylinders, is thus prevented.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawports.

33 is in alinement with one of the exhaust ports 18 transversely of the valve, and is spaced 90 therefrom.

In the operation of the valve, tie rotary valve tube rotates in the water-jacketed cylinder head 6 in an anti-clockwise direction and at onehalf of the crank shaft speed of the engine. The spaced inlet and exhaust ports to register with the ports 7 of the respective cylinders being properly spaced with relation to each of the other intake and exhaust ports circumferentially ot the valve tube so that the gas charge is admitted and the burned gases exhausted from the respective cylinders in the desired timed relation, it will be understood that at the beginning of the admission cycle or suction stroke of the piston, the inletport 33 of the valve starts to overlap the ports '7 in the first cylinder, allowing the gas to be drawn into said cylinder. This intake of the gas continues during approximately 90 of the rotation of the tube or 180 of the crank shaft. The compression stroke or the piston now takes place and the wall of the tube 8 is now disposed over the port 7 and completely closes the same. After compression, the charge is exploded by means of the usual spark plug, and in the explosion stroke, the rotation of the valve continues. it the start of the exhaust stroke, the port 18 begins to traverse the port 7, and the burned charge of gas is expelled through the port 18 and passage 170:? the valve tube during the upward t moi of the piston, until the port 18 has moved entirely out of registration with the port 7. The same cycle is, of course, carried out at diiterent times in connection with each of the other engine cylinders, and in the accompanying drawings the 1, 3, 4, 2 firing order is illustrated. In other words, when the piston in cylinder 1 is on the intake stroke, the piston in cylinder 3 is on its exhaust stroke, and when number 2 is on the intake stroke, number 1 is exhausted, and while number 1 is on the intake, number 2 is exhausted, and when number 3 is on the intake, number st is exhausted. As illus trated, the intake and exhaust ports are designed to open and close at dead centers of the crank shaft, or at angles of 90, but this may be varied to suit any requirements by simply changing the angles of the port centers on the circumferential length of the It is also apparent that the rotary valve tube may be given a clocl -wise instead of an anti-clockwise rotation if desired.

The air passage 11 extending the entire length of the rotary valve, provides a continuous draft of air which cools the bearing surface of the valve on the cylinder head at the outer face of the wall 9, and likewise cools the outer wall 10 of the exhaust passage 1T.

The circulation of air through the passage 11 may be caused simply by the forward movement of the vehicle, or by the radiator fan if the engine cylinders are water-cooled. The fresh gas being continuously admitted from the carbureter to the passage 12, insures a suflicient volume of highly heated gas by contact with the wall 13 which is heated by the exhaust gases. This superiority of the gas charge renders the same more volatile and expensive, and thereby minimizes the consumption of fuel as well as securing greater power from the fuel charge.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the construction and manner of operation of our improved valve will be clearly and fully understood. In the construction of the valve, any metal which will fulfil the necessary requirements may be employed, such as will have the least expansion under extreme heat and will afford the best wearing qualities under a maximum circumferential speed of about fifteen or sixteen hundred feet per minute. lVhile we have referred to the water-jacketed casing for the valve as an integral part of the engine cylinders, it will be understood that this casing may be cast either as a part of the cylinder block or as a part of detachable heads for the cylinders. The valve may also be located vertically above the cylinders as shown, or at one side of the cylinder block. The valve may be operated either by a chain connection to the crank shaft or by double, spiral, or worm gears, as may be preferred. The device as a whole is exceedingly simple in its construction, positive and reliable in its operation, and by the elimination of springs, rods, cams, and other similar elements, noise in the operation of the valve is obviated and loss of power due to the frictional resistance created by such parts is likewise avoided.

While we have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts employed, it is to be understood that our improved valve is susceptible of considerable modification and we, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is: p

1. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a single, integral structure having a common fuel supply passage for a plurality of engine cylinders, an ex haust passage surrounding said fuelsupply passage, and a continuous air passage extending the entire length of the valve exteriorly of the exhaust passage.

2. A valve for internal combustion engines'consisting'of a single, integral structure having a common fuel supply passage for a plurality of engine cylinders, an exhaust passagesurrounding said fuel supply passage, and a continuous air passage surrounding said exhaust passage and extending the entire length of the valve, said valve having inlet ports communicating with the air passage at one end of the valve, and air outlet ports communicating with said passage at the opposite end of the valve.

3. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a single, integral structure having a central, longitudinal gas passage for a plurality of engine cylinders, an exhaust passage surrounding said gas passage, and an outer air passage surrounding the exhaust passage, said valve being further provided with a plurality of radiall disposed gas feed ports extending through the air and exhaust passages and communieating with said gas passage.

4. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a rotary valve tube having a central longitudinal gas intake passage, an intermediate exhaust passage surrounding said intake passage, and a continuous, longitudinal air passage surrounding said exhaust passage.

5. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a rotary valve tube having an outer, longitudinally extending air passage, a central longitudinal gas passage and a longitudinal exhaust passage between the air and gas passages opening through one end of the valve tube, said valve being also provided with a gas feed port cxtending through the air and exhaust passages and communicating with the intake passage at a point intermediate the ends of said passage.

6. A valve for internal combustion en gines consisting of a rotary valve tube having an outer, longitudinally extending air passage, a central longitudinal gas passage and a longitudinal exhaust passage between the air and gas passages, the opposite ends of the gas passage being closed and said exhaust passage being open at one end, said valve tube being further provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, gas feed ports extending radially through the air and exhaust passages and communicating at the same point with the intake passage.

7. A valve for internal combustion engines including a cylindrical casing, a valve tube rotatably mounted in said casing and having an outer, longitudinal air passage, a central longitudinal gas passage, and a longitudinal exhaust passage between the air and gas passages, said valve being also provided With radial intake and exhaust ports dlsposed 1n spaced relation longitudinally and cil'omnferentially of the valve tube and also having a series oi additional ports through which the fuel is continuously fed to thegas passage, thewall of said casing having an annular chamber at one end provided With spaced openings in its outer Wall, the Wall of said air passage being provided with air inlet openings at one end of the valve and outlet openings ELMER G. KNOX. FORD B. DECKER.

/Vitnesses C. H. HANNEGAN, CHARLES L. ANTHONY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

